ThisMyShiznat

To me, it seems that satellites have been in the news a lot recently.  Particularly spy satellites, and questionable circumstances surrounding them.  If there is one thing I learned from writing this article, it would be the proper spelling of the word ‘satellite’.

Case in point…

• Over 60 countries world wide signed a treaty that went into effect, essentially banning nuclear weapons and nuclear testing from outer space.

• The US loses control of a US spy satellite surrounded by secrecy.  Rather than letting the satellite fall into the earth’s atmosphere and burn up, the US took unprecedented action by launching a surface to air missile, proving their ability to take out satellites from a navy destroyer.  At the time North Korea was being a real pain in the ass (like usual), preparing test launches for long range ballistic missiles against the approval of the civilized world.

• North Korea test fires three ballistic missiles, and goes out of their way to make sure the world knows about it.

• North Korea informs Russian officials of its plans to join in with the rest of the world by signing the outer space treaty, as Kim Jong-il continues to thumb his nose at the world.

• North Korea proceeds with a launch.  North Korea officials insist that the launched missile contains a satellite payload bound for orbit, while US officials maintain that North Korea is testing a long range missile system capable of reaching North America.

• North Korea successfully tests and detonates an underground nuclear weapon with claimed power rivaling that of the bomb used to destroy Heroshima.  Lucky for the rest of the world that one was only called “Little Boy”, yielding roughly 15 kilotons.  The underground test took place in the north east section of North Korea and caused a resulting earthquake measuring a magnitude of 4.5.  Shortly after the nuclear tests, three short range missiles were launched from eastern North Korea, in an attempt by Kim Jong-il to wave his tiny penis in the worlds face.

• North Korea launches a modified Taepodong-2 long range ballistic missile containing a satellite payload. North Korea claims that satellite made it into orbit, while the US insists that the missile went off course and crashed into the pacific, east of Japan.

• US makes a decision to classify images taken by government satellites of meteorites entering earth’s atmosphere, restricting access to the general public, including the scientific community.